Justin Hartley got his big break in television in the early 2000s and has spent most of his career on TV, which might be why many of his best movies and TV shows have not been in theaters. Hartley has found a home for himself in roles where he gets to more thoroughly explore characters in a serial format, having long runs on several television shows, even those where he is not a series regular.
Today, Hartley stars in the TV series Tracker and has more movies on the way, but his first foray into Hollywood was in a now-canceled soap opera. The soap opera grind likely prepared him for so much of his work. He has guest starred in everything from crime procedurals to modern dramas, and has been part of some large ensembles in critically acclaimed series. Hartley has also expanded his work into writing and directing, working behind the camera on some of his best movies and TV shows.
10
Hart Of Dixie (2012)
As Jesse
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Hart of Dixie
DramaComedy
Hart of Dixie aired on the CW for four seasons from 2011-2015. Rachel Bilson starred as Dr. Zoe Hart, a doctor from New York, who moved to the fictional quaint small town of Bluebell, Alabama to take over half of her father’s medical practice after he passed away. With plenty of laughs, love, and a cast of charming supporting characters, Hart of Dixie was a delightful and beloved series.
Release Date
September 26, 2011
Cast
Wilson Bethel
, Rachel Bilson
, Cress Williams
, Jaime King
, Tim Matheson
, Scott Porter
Creator(s)
Leila Gerstein
Seasons
4
Justin Hartley only appears in the series finale of Hart of Dixie. Some TV fans might disagree that a single-episode appearance is enough to judge an actor on, but Hartley’s work in the CW series is a great example of his charm and charisma as a guest star.
The series follows the titular Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) as she makes the move to a small town in Alabama to work for a local doctor after her career plans as a heart surgeon in New York are derailed. She adjusts to small-town life throughout the show, finding love and a home. Hartley plays a potential new love interest for her in the final episode, only for her to find out that he is actually the brother of one of the other main characters.
Hartley exudes charisma as the character and makes for a great addition. If the show had continued, he likely would have appeared more often.
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9
Emily Owens M.D. (2012-2013)
As Dr. Will Collins
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Emily Owens, M.D.
TV-PG
ComedyDramaRomance
Emily Owens, M.D. is a medical drama series that follows the life of Emily Owens, a first-year intern at Denver Memorial Hospital. Portrayed by Mamie Gummer, Emily faces both professional challenges and personal complexities as she navigates her new role alongside former high school rival and fellow intern Cassandra Kopelson. The series explores themes of growth, relationships, and the pressures of the medical profession.
Release Date
October 16, 2012
Cast
Mamie Gummer
, Justin Hartley
, Aja Naomi King
, Michael Rady
, Necar Zadegan
, Kelly McCreary
, Yoshié Bancroft
, Christine Willes
Creator(s)
Jennie Snyder Urman
Seasons
1
For the better part of a decade, Justin Hartley worked on shows on the CW. One of those is an outlier for the network, which is best known for its genre shows aimed at young women. In 2012, a medical procedural premiered on the network that focused on a medical intern. The show combined aspects of Grey’s Anatomy with its cases of the week and careers in medicine with the movie Mean Girls and its cliques and social climbing behavior.
Mamie Gummer stars in the series as the titular Emily Owens, who finds herself interning at the same hospital as her former nemesis and her former crush. Hartley plays her former crush, a young man she became friends with while in medical school, and one that she cannot shake her feelings for, even though he is oblivious to her crush and sees them as friends. Hartley proves himself the perfect leading man in the series, though it was canceled after the first season.
Though the series did not prove successful at the CW, the show’s cancelation helped the network. Head of the CW at the time, Mark Pedowitz, explained to Variety that they realized that their audience was not tuning into procedurals, but instead, genre-heavy shows like The Vampire Diaries. That is why the network began focusing more on genre shows.
8
Revenge (2013-2014)
As Patrick Osbourne
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Revenge
Thrillersoap opera
In this drama series loosely based on Alexandre Dumas’ The Count Of Monte Cristo, Emily Thorne poses as a new resident in the Hamptons, where she plans to take revenge on those who wronged her family when she was a child. Once there, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue, conspiracy, and danger that lurks beneath the town’s idyllic surface.
Release Date
September 21, 2011
Cast
Madeleine Stowe
, Emily VanCamp
, Gabriel Mann
, Henry Czerny
, Ashley Madekwe
, Nick Wechsler
, Josh Bowman
, Connor Paolo
, Christa B. Allen
, Barry Sloane
, James Tupper
, Karine Vanasse
, Elena Satine
Seasons
4
Story By
Mike Kelley, Ted Sullivan, Joe Fazzio, Shannon Goss
Hartley’s Patrick is a morally gray character, which is part of what makes him so much fun to watch.
Revenge is a deliciously soapy drama in which one woman sets out to get revenge against those who wronged her family. She targets one of the most powerful families in the Hamptons while living a lavish lifestyle. It’s a modern take on the Count of Monte Cristo in which she changes her name and has no trouble breaking laws and backstabbing to get what she wants.
Hartley does not appear throughout the entire series, but instead, recurs for a couple of seasons as the eldest son of one of the show’s antagonists. Hartley’s Patrick is a morally gray character, which is part of what makes him so much fun to watch. At the time, it was certainly a step away from the character he was best known for playing – a superhero. He plays the kind of character fans love to hate here, showing off his scenery-chewing abilities.
7
Chuck (2011)
As Wesley
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10/10
Chuck
TV-14
ActionComedy
When computer whiz and tech store employee Chuck Bartowski receives a mysterious email from an old friend, he ends up with top-secret government information uploaded into his brain. Soon, he finds himself working on secret missions with a CIA agent and NSA operative.
Release Date
September 24, 2007
Cast
Zachary Levi
, Yvonne Strahovski
, Adam Baldwin
, Joshua Gomez
, Sarah Lancaster
, Ryan McPartlin
, Bonita Friedericy
Seasons
5
Showrunner
Josh Schwartz
Before recurring on Revenge, Hartley also played a victim instead of a villain. Up to this point, most TV audiences were used to seeing him operate as the hero who often had a good head on his shoulders and was capable of saving himself and others. In this guest-starring spot, however, he gets to do something different.
Chuck is a spy series from the late 2000s that might not have always had the highest live ratings, but it did have a loyal following of both TV fans and critics. The series follows a man who accidentally ends up with files belonging to a covert spy operation in his brain. He is assigned protection from a government agent and ends up making a few enemies while trying to extract information from himself.
Hartley appears as the sibling of a regular character. Hartley’s Wesley ends up kidnapped and in need of rescue, so he is not the focal point of the episode as the main characters still get the bulk of the action. It did, however, demonstrate how well he works as part of a larger ensemble.
6
Passions (2001-2006)
As Fox Crane
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passions
SoapSci-Fi & FantasyDramaRomanceSupernatural
Passions is an American television soap opera that aired on NBC and later on The 101 Network. Created by James E. Reilly, it explores the romantic and paranormal adventures of the residents of Harmony, focusing on diverse families like the Russells, Cranes, Bennetts, and Lopez-Fitzgeralds.
Release Date
July 5, 1999
Cast
Dana Sparks
, Rachel G. Fox
, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Hartley originated the role in Passions.
Soap operas are known for having characters played by multiple actors during their run. That’s largely because soap operas film almost continuously throughout the year and actors often move on from the roles after fulfilling their initial contracts – especially younger actors who are just getting their foot in the door in Hollywood. That’s the case for Hartley playing Fox Crane. Hartley originated the role in Passions.
Passions is one of the quirkiest soap operas to ever exist, and it was incredibly popular with millennials who watched it as teenagers after school. The soap opera centered on a handful of families in the same town, as most do, but it also brought in magic and witchcraft. Hartley’s Fox is one of the sons of the prominent families who enters the show after being away at boarding school, and then college, before gambling away his part of the family fortune and deciding to come home.
The character is charming and likable despite being a womanizer and getting himself involved in all manner of schemes. Fox operates in a morally gray area, not unlike some of Hartley’s other characters, but his version of the character was a fan favorite. Two other actors would also play the role before the character was killed off.
Hartley was at one time married to his Passions co-star Lindsay Hartley, who also played one of his love interests, Theresa in the series.
5
Cold Case (2007)
As Mike Delaney In 1982
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Cold Case
TV-14
CrimeDrama
The Philadelphia homicide squad’s lone female detective finds her calling when she’s assigned “cold cases,” older crimes that have never been solved.
Release Date
September 28, 2003
Cast
Kathryn Morris
, Justin Chambers
, Thom Barry
, John Finn
, Jeremy Ratchford
, Danny Pino
, Tracie Thoms
Creator(s)
Meredith Stiehm
Seasons
7
It seems that nearly every actor who has worked steadily in television has appeared in at least one crime procedural. Justin Hartley has appeared in a few. Cold Case, however, is one of the best he worked on, even if it was only for a single episode.
Cold Case has a unique premise compared to so many other procedurals. The idea is inspired by real cold case units. The detectives in the show take on cases that have been lying dormant for weeks, or even decades. They follow the clues, often unearthing new information, and the series splits its time between the investigation in the present and flashbacks to the past.
Hartley appears in a season 5 episode in the flashback portion of the episode. Hartley plays a young man who is murdered in 1982. While the show usually delivers closure for families of victims by the end, the writers also often worked to make the mysteries layered for the audience. Here, Hartley’s character is the victim, but he’s also connected to multiple sexual assaults before his death.
Cold Case was really a gem of its era, and though a reboot of the show was in development, it did not move forward in 2024.
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4
The Noel Diary (2022)
As Jake Turner
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6/10
The Noel Diary
TV-14
ComedyDramaHolidayRomance
Based on the novel by Richard Paul Evans, The Noel Diary is a romantic comedy/holiday film starring Justin Hartley and Barrett Doss. Jake Turner (Heartley) returns home for Christmas to clear out and handle the affairs at his late mother’s estate. While rummaging through her items, he finds a diary that shines a light on two pasts – his own and that of Rachel, a woman seeking her own birth mother. Learning that his nanny was Rachel’s mom, the two decide to use the diary and journey together to uncover their pasts – and a romance waiting to bloom.
Release Date
November 24, 2022
Runtime
99 minutes
Cast
Justin Hartley
, Barrett Doss
, Essence Atkins
, Bonnie Bedelia
, James Remar
Director
Charles Shyer
Writers
Charles Shyer
, Rebecca Connor
, David Golden
Hallmark is not the only place to find romantic Christmas movies. Netflix has been developing quite a catalog of them among its original content over the last few years, including The Noel Diary, which is like a slightly steamier version of a Hallmark story.
Hartley stars in the movie as a best-selling writer who returns to his family home for the first time in 20 years. He’s there to clear out the house and go through his mother’s belongings after her death. While there, he crosses paths with a young woman who was adopted and is searching for her birth mother. He believes his childhood nanny might have been her, so the two team up.
Though the two lead very different lives and have very different relationships with their families, they hit it off. A spark emerges between them, but they’re initially resistant because the young woman is engaged.
The character is not so far removed from many of Hartley’s other charming supporting roles, but here, he is the romantic lead instead. He also gets to play with more dramatic moments instead of sticking solely to rom-com conventions, which is part of what makes the movie’s story so satisfying.
Hartley is also an executive producer on the movie.
3
Tracker (2024-)
As Colter Shaw
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140
9.2/10
Tracker
TV-14
DramaCrime
Tracker follows lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw as he navigates the country as a reward seeker. Utilizing his expert tracking skills, he aids private citizens and law enforcement in solving various mysteries while grappling with issues from his fractured family.
Release Date
February 11, 2024
Cast
Justin Hartley
, Abby McEnany
, Eric Graise
, Fiona Rene
, Robin Weigert
, Wendy Crewson
, Sofia Pernas
, Jensen Ackles
, Lee Tergesen
, Prestyn Bates
, Matthew Nelson-Mahood
, Alison Araya
, Link Baker
, Mattia Castrillo
, Paniz Zade
, Ashley Roxburgh
, Jeremy Jones
, Aggie Bell
, Oscar Chark
, Dalias Blake
, Colm Hill
, Nicole Anthony
, Sean Owen Roberts
, Garfield Wilson
, Zia Newton
, Arianna McGregor
Creator(s)
Ben H. Winters
Showrunner
Elwood Reid
Expand
Procedurals, especially those centered around crime or other mysteries, have to make themselves different in order to stand out from the crowd on the television landscape. For Tracker, standing out from the crowd involves the main cast members traveling by RV to solve mysteries.
Hartley stars as Colter Shaw, who happens to be the titular Tracker. He is a “rewardist,” someone who takes on missing persons cases for the reward money involved. That might be consulting with law enforcement, or taking on private cases in which the family has offered a reward for information. He does this by getting tips for cases from different handlers and by traveling by RV to do it, giving what could be a by-the-numbers mystery a new spin.
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The show has seen a lot of success, largely because Hartley plays the lead role with a certain amount of swagger, making the show even more fun than the usual procedural. What helps is also Hartley’s chemistry with the supporting cast members. Jensen Ackles has a recurring role as his brother and Jennifer Morrison also recurs as a Shaw family friend.
Harley is also an executive producer on the series.
2
Smallville (2006-2011)
As Oliver Queen AKA Green Arrow
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9.3/10
Smallville
TV-PG
RomanceAdventureDrama
Smallville is a Superhero television series based on the Superman Comic Book series created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. This television release was developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The premise revolves around a young Clark Kent as he arrives on Earth and attempts to live his life while simultaneously keeping his friends, family, and those around him safe thanks to his superpowers.
Release Date
October 16, 2001
Cast
Sam Jones III
, Annette O’Toole
, Jensen Ackles
, Eric Johnson
, Erica Durance
, Cassidy Freeman
, Michael Rosenbaum
, Laura Vandervoort
, John Schneider
, Kristin Kreuk
, Sam Witwer
, Aaron Ashmore
, Allison Mack
, John Glover
, Justin Hartley
, Tom Welling
, Callum Blue
Seasons
10
Creator
Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
Expand
Some TV fans might have thought Justin Hartley burst on the primetime scene in a starring role just in the last few years. Avid TV watchers, however, know better. In addition to his many recurring roles, Hartley is actually best known for playing a superhero on the CW. Before Stephen Amell headlined Arrow, there was another Oliver Queen on the network, and Hartley played him for most of Smallville’s run.
While Smallville presented a much lighter (and more colorful) look at DC comic book superheroes than the Arrowverse would later, Hartley’s version of Oliver Queen was not all that far removed from Amell’s. Both characters had partier reputations in their social circles while spending their nights as vigilantes. Hartley’s version of the character, however, was written with more subtle humor, allowing Hartley to play that aspect of the character up.
The character was a fan-favorite, and many fans thought there would be a Green Arrow spin-off from the series, or even a Justice League one since Oliver led the League in the show’s universe. That, however, did not come to fruition.
Hartley has also played another DC hero. He starred as Arthur Curry AKA Aquaman in an Aquaman pilot in 2006, which was made available online, but the CW went with Smallville instead. Hartley ended up co-writing and directing episodes of Smallville as well.
1
This Is Us (2016-2022)
As Kevin Pearson
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This Is Us
TV-14
RomanceComedyDrama
This Is Us chronicles the Pearson family across the decades: from Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) as young parents in the 1980s to their 37-year-old kids, Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) searching for love and fulfillment in the present day. This grounded, life-affirming dramedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who people become and how the connections people share with each other can transcend time, distance, and even death.
Release Date
September 20, 2016
Cast
Susan Kelechi Watson
, Lonnie Chavis
, Justin Hartley
, Melanie Liburd
, Hannah Zeile
, Mandy Moore
, Eris Baker
, Sterling K. Brown
, Milo Ventimiglia
, Logan Shroyer
, Faithe Herman
, Niles Fitch
, Parker Bates
, Chris Sullivan
, Chrissy Metz
, Alexandra Breckenridge
, Jon Huertas
, Lyric Ross Asante Blackk Griffin Dunne Caitlin Thompson Chris Geere
, Ron Cephas Jones
, Mackenzie Hancsicsak
Seasons
6
Showrunner
Dan Fogelman
Expand
Hartley is able to showcase the charm of his lighter roles, but plays to the depths of his dramatic range with more serious subjects in the show.
This Is Us has become one of the most beloved dramas of the modern day. It earned a reputation during its run on television as a show in which nearly every episode will make the audience cry.
The series follows the Pearson family at multiple points in their timeline, highlighting a mother and father and their three children. Hartley plays one of those children who grows up to become an actor who struggles to be taken seriously. For Hartley, who had mostly genre work and guest-starring spots on other shows before landing the role, the part might have initially hit close to home.
Hartley was nominated three times for a Critics Choice Award for the series. The show was nominated for six Golden Globes during its run (with Sterling K. Brown winning one for his work on the show) and 39 Emmys (winning four).
This Is Us is not only Hartley’s most critically lauded work as an actor, but it is also the show on which he has done the most directing. It is also his most successful television show to date and best showcases his abilities. Hartley is able to showcase the charm of his lighter roles but plays to the depths of his dramatic range with more serious subjects in the show. This is Us is Justin Hartley’s best TV show of his career so far.